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News comes to Feast today that Pickleman's Gourmet Cafe (locations in both Springfield and Columbia, MO) will take over the former Laclede Coffee Co. space on (wait for it...) Laclede Ave. Quick-on-the-keys Ligaya Figueras broke the news first, promising more as she learned it. Apparently, she and I were barking up the same tree today. Here's some supplemental information:
Pickleman's is an "upscale, quick-serve, deli concept," according to franchisee Brad Merten, "where you watch your sandwich being assembled...think Subway, but with better quality and menu options." Such as: 18 varieties of toasted subs, plus chopped and traditional salads, soups, and even 12" thin-crust pizzas, many of them (like the Buffalo Chicken and Chicken Giardinara) utilizing existing sandwich fixings. The cheese used on the pizzas is a 5-cheese blend, and yes, feisty and opinionated St. Louisans, one of them is indeed Provel.
The store, located right in the heart of SLU country, plans to be open when the hoards return in mid-August. They also hope to participate in SLU's "Billiken Bucks" program, which integrates selected nearby eateries with a special student debit card. "We've got students all around us, and students living in lofts right on top of us," Mertens says, "that's why we'll stay open till 3:30 AM." -- George Mahe
